


How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

by Scarlet_Gryphon



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate title: Love is Stored in the Baklava, Andy | Andromache of Scythia Loves Baklava, Gen, Immortal Husbands Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, M/M, Present Tense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29790087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlet_Gryphon/pseuds/Scarlet_Gryphon
Summary: A street market in Eastern Turkey provides Joe with some time to reflect on just how much sweetness is available to him in his life.(Pre-Movie setting)
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 3
Kudos: 65





	How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

**Author's Note:**

> I can't stop thinking of soft scenarios with these two. They are soft and deadly and just love one another so _much_.

Eastern Turkey is beautiful this time of year. Joe and Nicky are due to meet Booker and Andy in Morocco in two days' time, the former having contacted them about a potential job. Booker's been surprisingly tight-lipped about the whole thing, but given the type of work they do, it's often better to speak in person than over emails or phones.

The grand street market the two of them are in is filled with so many vibrant colors and so much life that Joe can feel it thrumming in the air. He adores places like this, bustling pockets of humanity and community that have barely changed throughout the centuries. He half-expects to hear his siblings or parents calling out to him as they did when he was a boy, asking him to wait for them to catch up or to not go too far from their sight.

Instead, he gets Nicky weaving his way through the crowd next to him, pausing at various stalls and perusing the available wares. Occasionally Nicky will turn to look at him with that soft smile that Joe's loved for well over nine hundred years, eager to share his newest find. Joe can't help but return the smile, his heart fluttering pleasantly each time. His husband never fails to elicit those kinds of warm emotions in him regardless of how long they've been together.

It's one of the many things Joe has been thankful for over the long, long years. Having Nicky's love and support has been crucial for Joe to keep sane and on a somewhat even moral keel. Neither of them have been strictly _good_ or _righteous_ throughout the years, even by today's standards, but they've done their best to help those who need it the most when and where they can.

When Nicky spots something that has him perking up excitedly and then bee-lining to a stall that's tucked away in a corner of the market like a greyhound chasing a rabbit, Joe gamely follows along. He chuckles when he sees what has caught his husband's eye. Ah, of course. 

The wide array of baklava for sale, each in a little string-tied wax paper wrapper to keep things neat and tidy, is organized by primary flavor and kind of nut used within the sweet treat. Nicky scans the small hand-written signs, eventually ending up buying one that has pomegranate, rosewater, and hazelnut. An unusual combination, but the pomegranate should balance the rosewater nicely so it's not too sweet.

“Do you think she'll like it?”

“It's Andy. Of course she will. She has a sweet tooth that ranges from here to New York and back again,” Joe jokes, eliciting a huff of laughter. “If you're that worried about it, buy a piece for us to share and we'll be able to tell on our own.”

“Always the smart one,” Nicky says and then does just that. They continue to wander the market for a while, picking up some small packets of spices- it never hurts to be prepared, especially given their habit of wandering from safehouse to safehouse -and then return to their hotel room. Joe putters about the room, sealing the spices into freezer bags just in case so their clothes don't end up smelling like roasted garlic or paprika should one of the original bags burst or open somehow.

He looks up when Nicky places a hand on his shoulder, turning to see what his beloved wants. Nicky stands there with a piece of baklava carefully held in one hand, the other cupped underneath it to catch any crumbs. They've been together for long enough that Joe barely thinks about it before he opens his mouth to accept the offering being given to him. The baklava is sweet and tart and nutty, the combination melding beautifully in his mouth.

Joe hums appreciatively as he chews, savoring the flavors. “Oh, she'll  _definitely_ like that,” he says once his mouth is empty. Nicky eats the other half of the baklava, licking the sticky-sweet remnants off his fingers. Joe watches him with an amused smile, half-tempted to offer to finish the job. He refrains, but only just, and instead turns back to his work. The flight to Morocco isn't overly long, thankfully, but just long enough that he knows he'll get restless. It'll be good to do some work on the ground and help people again after the break they've taken.

Just as he finishes making sure everything is packed properly, Joe feels Nicky's arms slide around his torso, his cheek pressing against Joe's shoulder. Joe relaxes into the embrace, feeling warm and safe and comfortable.

“Feeling cuddly today?”

“For you, _tesoro_? Always,” Nicky replies, his voice low and soft in Joe's ear. Joe turns in the circle of Nicky's arms, feeling unfathomably blessed that this is the person he gets to share his immortality and heart with. Nicky begins to hum a song that hasn't been popular for well over two hundred years, leading them into a swaying dance that Joe never wants to end.

And later, when Andy takes that first blissful bite of the baklava Nicky oh so carefully presents her, Joe feels that familiar rush of deep love for the man who's stood by his side for almost a thousand years wash over him like a tidal wave. It's something he holds onto throughout the insanity and heartbreak that follows, almost as tightly as he does Nicky himself.


End file.
